Not sure if any of that qualifies to Aid Another in a diplomacy check, but here's my roll if you want to use it. :)
Osiriani:He [Donkor] looks over Jyx and Scorch with as little trust as he had Ovaron, and adds as an afterthought to Moonpate's speech, "We are not trouble-makers. But we're well able to meet trouble in kind if it should come to us." He keeps his spell readied, and his hand near his weapon, and inclines his head slightly toward the horrifying Hurgah.
Ovaron looks to the half-orc, as Donkor intends. He sees the muscled figure with his glowing tattoos and he sees the gigantic axe which cannot be anything but a weapon of battle. Suddenly Jyx and Scorch seem to look a little pale. Perhaps they might just be a little more fair-skinned than the average Osirion.
Ovaron, however, puts on a tougher face and looks back to Soroon, speaking in a measured tone:
Osiriani:“You’re quite free to go around and proceed to the dig on your own. You seem to be travelling much faster than us anyway.”
Thalia suppresses a cough as she witnesses what she perceives to be the young priest’s mismanagement of a rather delicate situation. Still pouting with her minor role she hesitates, debating whether to bother to assist. A moment passes and she decides to nudge Scimitar forward:
“Ca’Untaru An’ anubai Du hai hai – cest wan Ghiheru Du hai hai – Mojineska Jiparu anuwesh Du hai hai”
Xian’an briefly recites an ancient adage of desert travelers, setting out the timeless laws of no harm. Ovaron recognizes the words and appears to appreciate them.
Sense Motive
The blistering burnt creature remained at the foot of its owner; pus oozed from its sand-encrusted wounds.
“Awwwww,” she purred, “Did my little guy get hurt? Did some meanies try to burn him up?”
The splicer beast nodded its head, happy to receive some sympathy at last but at the same time instinctively afraid.
“C’mere, my many-one,” she said with a encouraging pat as she stroked it behind the ears. “Does my little guy want some healing potion? What’s that? Yes? You do? Yes you do!” The splicer beast began to bob its head in anticipation.
But instead, she suddenly drove her index and forefingers into a tiny indent at the base of the creatures skull, finding a hidden cluster of nerves. A moment later the creature was frozen in place as every nerve in its body suddenly lit up with electricity. It wanted nothing more than to convulse into spasms but its body refused to respond.
“Well I’m not wasting a potion on an incompetent beast that runs from a battle!” With a swift and powerful kick she rolled the creature on its back. “Now you sit there and think about what you did.” She reattached the creature’s chain, tethering it to a large spike anchored deep within the ground.
Her punishment exacted, Vavonne strode from the room with purpose. She would have to find Master Soan. He would be completing his meditation shortly. He would need to hear this news. Someone or something was out in the desert wielding fire – something strong enough to chase off her pack pet.
Her lips curled into a smile. Vavonne found the news exciting.
“They say you’re worth every copper,” began the elderly man.
“We’re not here to discuss me,” responded the second - his voice carried a trace of clinical coldness. “That’s important. I don’t like it when people discuss me, the jobs that I do, or my whereabouts. Once the deed is done, you don’t know me.”
“I know, I know – I just want to make sure you understand. I need them both dead, but there has to be proof.”
“That is the point of the retainer,” answered the assassin. “But, as I explained to you, the sage is not yet on the continent. His death will be delayed until his return.”
“That’s fine. But I need the men to see that the other one is dead, the big one, as soon as possible. Since the Al Harim massacre, things haven’t been right. They need to know I’ve taken care of it.”
“Your men’s morale issues are not my concern. Just ensure the correct balance is delivered on time.”
“Yes, yes. But find that monster and bring me his head.” He coiled the whip of his dead son, Khelid, in his hands in anticipation.
“I told you, I’ve already found him. Pathfinders are fools, they record everything. Their people are easy to trace.” At that, the killer drew out his wand rifle and cycled the wands, adding the right pair for the job. “The one you want goes by the name the Reaver. He is. . .” he searched for the words, “Durable - and as discussed he will be expensive.”
“Sceptre – you are a legend. I’ve heard what you did in Absalom, in Oppara and in Sothis. I pay what it takes. If anyone can kill this Reaver, it’s you.”
Sceptre winced. The old man just didn’t seem to get the rule about 'no talking about him'. After the balance was paid, he might need to vanish him as well. He would see.
I know! And if I don't find a way to advance the game soon this crummy GM will probably troll everyone's origin for more bad news.
(Suddenly everyone deletes their backstory and replaces it with quiet tales of butterflies and kittens. . .)
Are you sure? Cause it's not too late and it kinda has a nice ring to it.
(Suddenly everyone deletes their backstory and replaces it with quiet tales of butterflies and kittens. . .)
Moonpate's "plucky assistant Gandel on his trusted steed" rides up and smiles a friendly greeting to Ovaron, Jyx, and Scorch.
"Mighty kind," responds Ovaron to the halfling, "but we're on a schedule."
He looks back to his caravan and sees it has re-established some distance. "Well we'd best be going. Enjoy your lunch."
Ovaron nods at Gandel and then re-mounts his camel. It looks like he aims to leave.
Moonpate speaks further to which Ovaron replies:
"Very well city druid, you come along if you'd like. But do us all a favor and leave the "ill mannered and poor of aspect" as you call them behind - we'd all feel a lot more comfortable, if you don't mind."
Ovaron waves as though permitting you to follow. He and his two men then break into a trot and head back for their caravan.
"So what the hell happened?"
"So what the hell happened?"
Thalia attempts to translate:
"Moonpate offered to ride with them. Gandel suggested lunch."
"Their leader - he calls himself Ovaron. He says Moonpate can come with him, if he wants, but the warriors are to remain behind." After a brief pause she adds, "He doesn't trust us. I think he's acting tough, but is actually quite scared."
Sorry. Been away at my cousins wedding and job interview today. On plane in two hours to head back home. Please feel free to run the Pate for me until tomorrow. Thanks.
"Hurgah goes where his employer wishes him to go. If this heap of camel dung fears for his skin, he can step aside and hide behind a dune until we pass."
Sorry. Been away at my cousins wedding and job interview today. On plane in two hours to head back home. Please feel free to run the Pate for me until tomorrow. Thanks.
"Young gritty priest? Perhaps if you would be so kind as to organize our men-at-arms such that they form a read guard at a healthy distance? That way with the good Khymrasa to our front and my men to the rear, the remainder of our travels will go without molestation." The Potentate shoots Donkor a wink.
"Plucky diminutive assistant? Old woman guide whose name I can never recall? If you two would be so kind as to accompany me? We want to look our best for the Exemplar now. As my Master always says, a planar dimension folds on itself, not on the man who walks within it."
At that Moonpate rides forward (together with anyone joining him) and joins up with Ovaron, explaining the arrangement.
Those who travel with Ovaron learn the following:
Ooops! Cross-posted with Jace. Let me try to reconcile it. I tell ya, I take the wheels for one minute and I drive it off the road.
"Hurgah goes where his employer wishes him to go. If this heap of camel dung fears for his skin, he can step aside and hide behind a dune until we pass."
Moonpate turns just before he rides away, "Tut, tut large-muscled-bodyguard-that-I-employ. I wish, like a young man rubbing a lamp imprisoning a noble genie, that you permit me to entreat Master Ovaron in conversation while you watch over my safety from a distance."
. . . Old woman guide whose name I can never recall? If you two would be so kind as to accompany me?
Thalia falls in behind muttering to herself. "Oh, you'd better enjoy this Moonpate, because you will pay for it later."
Karek falls in with Breach, Halstadt, and Hurgah, the hired muscles, us against the world. As they walk behind the caravan, Karek tries to catch a glimpse of what the caravan might contain, and how he might possibly get close enough to break something.
Hurgah grumbles an acknowledgment and falls back, content to trail behind the caravan with the two dwarves.
As the two processions of camels continue their sun-battered trek east an impressive site in the distance gradually comes into focus. A few of the sand dunes in the distance seem to gradually grow in size as you get closer. A mere trick of distance, you soon realize they are not simple wind-carved dunes at all but massive man-made depos of earth. Once closer, you begin to make out what looks to be swarms of workers milling about the piles of earth. There must be hundreds of workers at the dig site.
Finally you can make out the excavation itself: a mammoth man-made crater spearing deep down into the ground. A constant flow of workers descends down the hole on a ramp, while a second stream of workers emerges from the other side by way of a second ramp, always bearing a backbreaking load of sand.
Whatever they are digging for, they haven’t found it yet.
Sensing the end of their journey, the camels fight to pick up their pace. Near the dig site you can make out multiple islands of “tent cities”, small groupings of multi-colored tents and temporary housing of varied sizes. You also see patrols of guards.
You are beginning to doubt that they let just anybody walk in there.
And so the con begins. . .
It looks like your cover stories are about to undergo their first test. Perhaps emboldened by the dig site’s proximity, Ovaron starts asking questions as to just who you all are anyway.
Anyone care to send an outline of what the response is, accompanied by a Bluff check? (Or an alternate plan or approach?)
Somewhat quizzical as to why moonpate would have asked him to go to the rear guard, Donkor did so, assuming that the bald fellow had a master plan which required his presence over there.
Jason falls back with the dwarves and the others. He wrinkles his nose after a while. "Ugh", he says turning towards Hurgah, "I think their camels smell worse than ours. I didn't think that was possible."
And so the con begins. . .
Anyone care to send an outline of what the response is, accompanied by a Bluff check? (Or an alternate plan or approach?)
. . . he has gone to lengths to mentally separate it from the rest of the group, both to legitimize his presence and "secure" his mind, so to speak, from compromising anyone else. Hurgah's and Gandel's presence as members of the Pate's team should further enhance the "story", which is not a "story" but the truth (if that makes any sense). Now, maybe Moon is only fooling himself (and his poor camel) with these mental tricks. I will throw out a roll if you feel one is needed, either as a Bluff or Diplomacy, or whatever you feel is most appropriate. I won't add any modifiers since I'm not sure how the esteemed Beetle wants to handle my convoluted logic.
Very clever.
I'm not sure I would permit such an approach to go as far as to turn a Bluff attempt into a Diplomacy check though. He'd have to go so far as to delude himself into forgetting he met with a Venture-Captain and he's travelling with two treasure-hunting Pathfinders at this very moment. He'd almost need auto-hypnosis or something.
But I do think it is a creative idea. What I will do is give him +2 for his Charisma bonus - he's not terrible at this, and then as a result of his attempt to decompartmentalize his mind I will let him apply the +2 bonus from his focused mind trait. He hasn't forgotten the truth, but he can temporarily force it from his mind to assist him with his explanation. Thalia will then support him with another aid another, by engaging Ovaraon as well, (also an auto-success at DC 10) so the end total will be 15.
I can post in character later after some feedback.
Hit me!
Jason falls back with the dwarves and the others. He wrinkles his nose after a while. "Ugh", he says turning towards Hurgah, "I think their camels smell worse than ours. I didn't think that was possible."
His camel appears to momentarily bristle at the insult, though perhaps it was just shaking off a fly.
This is an OOC note on some behind the scenes points of interest – things you may well have pieced together already. It’s mostly for our awesome lurkers, but there’s no reason the player’s can’t check it out. If you’re a serious ‘deep immersion’ type of player though, you might want to pass on this, it’ll impart some knowledge your PC does not necessarily possess.
“Follow smoke, leads to hole”
This all began when the dice roller betrayed Gandel early and forced him to flub a fairly easy Knowledge (geography) check: a 13 total on a DC 15. With an ‘aider’ he might have made it.
As such, the party was aimed to go right by the dig site without seeing it. Gandel had a back-up plan to veer extra north such that if they hit the Heavenscape of Tumen he would know to turn south. A good thought and one I decided this was pretty much what was going to happen. Far from fatal, but it could potentially cost the party a day or more of extra travel.
Lady luck struck when Thalia made difficult Perception check – an off-screen roll missed by the rest of the party. No shame in that, it was pretty near impossible. At the same time Donkor made an exceptional percentile roll while casting divination, a 2% on a d100%. This inspired the idea of providing a series of cryptic clues to benefit the party in the form of a rhyme from Pharasma’s . The first of which was:
“Follow smoke, leads to hole”
The smoke was a reference to the trail of smoke coming from Ovaron’s campfire. The smoke lead to Ovaron, which lead to the “hole” (the dig site). But you already knew that – right?
Perhaps the rest of the divination will yield further aid . . . or perhaps mild amusement when re-visited with hindsight.
As the party nears the dig, the rear guard pauses in confusion. Karek looks at Hurgah, then at Breach. Moonpate, Gandel, and Thalia appeared to be struggling at the entrance. I dod we were sbos'da sday back. Karek grumbles, examining the setup of the dig site, and looking for any possible alternate entrances. Bud where do we go now?
Hesitantly, he leads the rearguard forward, hoping that Moonpate can talk their way in, but ready to come to his assistance if needed.
"We are too close to break off now. Hopefully Moonpate has a good story for us".
Well on review I think I have the general idea from Phrip's prior postings - not much sense in making him repeat it. But do let me know if I have gone wrong somewhere. The Potentate relays:
While this doesn't appear to wholly satisfy Ovaron, he doesn't particularly appear to care either. He comments:
Ovaron means to soon part ways, permitting you to veer the north side of the camp, while he breaks to the south.
Do I understand right that it is Karek's intent to use his expertise to size up the camp for structural defects to identify potential targets for sabotage? Or did Kogan just want to get an idea of the general outlay of the dig site?
For the former you would need to get closer and possibly scout the camp in some way. As for the general outlay, I will be posting that soon.
And Donkor is also here for his own scholarly needs, having explored a pyramid in the past and having questions still arising from it. However, on the course of the journey he has developed an aversion to Moonpate's ramblings, and has opted to travel with the help instead. :)
While this doesn't appear to wholly satisfy Ovaron, he doesn't particularly appear to care either. He comments:He has neither seen nor heard any signs of elemental activity here - though maybe that in itself is a sign - he admits he knows nothing of the mysteries of elementals or genies. Khymrasa is in a camp to the north of the dig site. He's never been there or seen her. He doesn't intend to start now. His business takes him to the slave camp on the southern side of the dig site. Ovaron means to soon part ways, permitting you to veer the north side of the camp, while he breaks to the south.
"Many thanks for your companionship and insight these past few leagues, friend Ovaron. It has been a mercy on my ears to converse with a man of few words such as yourself after the long desert miles with those louts behind us. Talented, in their limited ways they may be, but not at pleasant conversation or blessed silence. I will make sure to mention to the Examplar your astute and careful guardianship of her caravan. Blessed journeys and may the elements favor you."
Do I understand right that it is Karek's intent to use his expertise to size up the camp for structural defects to identify potential targets for sabotage? Or did Kogan just want to get an idea of the general outlay of the dig site?
[ooc] Guys, I am lost as to where everyone and what exactly is going on. Can someone give me a quick rundown of what I should be doing over in the discussion thread?[ooc]
Cool! I've got catch-up to do.
Breach: I'd be happy to get you a synopsis, but the situation is about to change imminently, so it might make sense for me to do that a little bit later so you get more out of it.
Karek: Similar answer with respect to your questions about security. (Hopefully that sounded as ominous as intended.)